Lawyers of district courts in Delhi observed a day-long strike Tuesday to demand repeal of an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that abolishes the provision of arrest in offences punishable up to seven years in jail. Lawyers across the country would strike work on Wednesday in protest against the amendment, said lawyers’ coordination committee leader Rajesh Kumar Wadhwa. The amendment proposes that in offences that carry jail terms of seven years a police officer may, instead of arresting the offender, issue him/her a notice requiring him/her to cooperate in the investigation. No arrest will be made in a non-cognizable offence except under a warrant or order of a magistrate. The reasons for arrest should be sound and recorded in writing by the police officer, the amendment proposes.